Exploring Psychological Therapy Methods for Disorders

1. CHAPTER 16 THERAPY

2. Chapter plan • INTRODUCTION • BIOLOGICAL TREATMENTS – FROM SURGERY TO DRUGS • Psychosurgery and ECT • Pharmacotherapy – the role of medication • Assessing the effects of psychotropic drugs • PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENTS • Psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapy • Behaviour therapy • Cognitive therapy • Humanistic therapy • Family and couples therapy • Assessing the effects of psychotherapy • BIOLOGICAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT? • SUMMARY

3. Therapy • The last lecture provided an overview of the devastation caused by many psychological disorders in the lives of countless people. • The obvious question to ask next is: What can we do to treat these disorders? • There are numerous therapies for psychological disorders; the two major approaches to treatment are biological and psychological.

4. Biological treatments make direct changes to the nervous system and are typically used by psychiatrists or other medically qualified practitioners in a hospital or outpatient setting. • Psychological treatments include a variety of psychotherapies administered by numerous professionals (e.g., psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers) whose qualifications are regulated by the country in which they live.

5. Biological treatments – fromsurgery to drugs • Until the late eighteenth century, people suffering from a psychological disorder were thought to be possessed by demons or evil spirits. • Among the earliest biological treatments was ‘trepanning’, or removing part of the skull bone to allow evil spirits out of the body. • With the demise of witchcraft, people with psychological disorders came to be seen as ill, and the traditional methods of medicine began to be applied to them.

6. Psychosurgery and ECT • Psychosurgery involves severing or otherwise disabling areas of the brain to treat a psychological disorder in the absence of any clear organic cause. • Antônio Egas Moniz, of the University of Lisbon Medical School, developed a procedure in which the nerve fibres connecting the frontal lobe with other parts of the brain were cut. • The prefrontal lobotomybecame particularly popular in the USA, where a simple technique (that came to be known as ‘ice pick’ surgery) was administered during an outpatient visit.

7. In the ‘ice pick’ lobotomy a sharp piece of metal was inserted under the eyelid and above the eye so that it entered the base of the frontal lobe. Sideways movement severed the connections between the frontal lobe and the rest of the brain. (Fig. 16.1)

8. The lobotomy has since been replaced by the cingulotomy, in which neurosurgeons make lesions in the cingulate gyrus, a section of the brain connecting the prefrontal cortex to the limbic system. • Although the number of psychosurgeries performed worldwide today isn’t known, it is estimated that fewer than 25 occur annually in Britain and the United States, about five a year in Sweden and one or two in Australia. • Only people with very severe, disabling psychological disorders that resist other forms of treatment are even considered for psychosurgery today.

9. Antônio Egas Moniz won a Nobel Prize for developing a form of psychosurgery known as the frontal lobotomy, which involved severing the nerve fibres connecting the frontal lobe with other parts of the brain – a radical procedure for treating severe psychological disorders. (Fig. 16.2)

10. Electroconvulsive therapy • Another controversial treatment, and one that is still used fairly widely, is electroconvulsive therapy(ECT). • Two electrodes are placed on the scalp and a moderately intense electric current is passed between them for about half a second. • This produces a 30- to 60- second seizure, similar to those experienced by epileptics.

11. It is often used to treat depressed people who have not responded to antidepressant medication, can’t take medication because of the risk of suicide or other medical considerations, or risk death through refusal to eat. • Despite claims of ‘marked improvement . . . in 80% to 90% of patients’, the case for ECT is far from clear-cut; the consensus from clinical practice is that it can have beneficial effects, but research shows that the effects are relatively short-term; relapse rates are also quite high.

12. Electroconvulsive therapy is a controversial treatment, still used fairly widely. (Fig. 16.3)

13. The failure to address the sociological or psychological stresses that might have initiated or exacerbated the depression could explain the high relapse rates for ECT. • Other criticisms include temporary disorientation following ECT, and memory loss that can last for months (indeed, it has been suggested that memory loss is one of the reasons why ECT ‘works’). • In addition, up to 33 per cent of patients describe ECT as ‘a very distressing experience.

14. In contrast, the Royal College of Psychiatrists (1997) views ECT as ‘among the safest medical treatments given under general anaesthesia’ – a view echoed by the psychiatric establishment in many countries. • Together with the perceived utility of ECT, these views are likely to ensure its continued use.

15. Pharmacotherapy – the role ofmedication • The advent of psychotropic drugsrevolutionized the treatment of psychological disorders. • By controlling (or at least moderating) the manifestation of some disorders, these drugs have allowed sufferers to be treated without hospitalization.

16. Antipsychotics – a treatment forschizophrenia • The first psychotropic drugs introduced in the 1950s were antipsychotics (sometimes referred to as neuroleptics), which have come to dominate the treatment of schizophrenia. • Typical antipsychotics, such as chlorpromazine and haloperidol, reduce psychotic or so-called ‘positive’ symptoms of schizophrenia (hallucinations and delusions), apparently by blocking dopamine receptors in certain brain systems.

17. But what of the other, ‘negative’, schizophrenic symptoms – lack of social skills, appropriate affect, motivation and life skills? • Atypicalantipsychotics, such as clozapine and risperidone, reduce both positive and negative symptoms. • These drugs appear to block both dopamine and serotonin receptors, implying a dopamine–serotonin interaction in schizophrenia (though some researchers argue that their effectiveness is due to selective dopamine blockade).

18. But as a consequence of several side effects and risks (e.g. ‘rabbit syndrome’, pseudo-parkinsonism, tardive dyskinesia), many schizophrenic patients don’t take their medication reliably, resulting in periodic worsening of symptoms and rehospitalizations. • In fact, it is not uncommon for people suffering from schizophrenia to become ‘revolving door patients’.

19. Antidepressants and antimanics –treatments for mood disorders • Antidepressants Two classes of drugs for the treatment of depression were introduced in the late 1950s, tricyclic antidepressants (so-called because of their three-ring chemical structure) and monamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Both these drugs increase the availability of catecholamine neurotransmitters (norepinephrine and serotonin) though they do so by different mechanisms (see figure 16.2).

20. Two ways in which a drug may increase the available supply of a neurotransmitter. A neurotransmitter (e.g. norephinephrine, NE) is discharged by neuron A to stimulate neuron B. The amount of NE available to B can be decreased through reuptake (a process in which NE is pumped back into A) or through deactivation (where enzymes such as MAOs break down the NE and make it ineffective). Tricyclic drugs (such as Tofranil) and MAO inhibitors (such as Nardil; see p. 341) increase the amount of NE (and serotonin) available but in different ways. Tricyclics interfere with reuptake whereas MAO inhibitors prevent breakdown of the neurotransmitters. SSRIs (such as Prozac and Seroxat) block neurotransmitter reuptake, but act selectively on serotonin and do not appreciably alter reuptake of other neurotransmitters. (Fig. 16.4)

21. Drug treatment of depression changed dramatically in 1988 with the introduction of the first ‘designer drug’ (Kramer, 1993). • Prozac (designed to have a minimal effect on norephinephrine and a maximal effect on serotonin) marked the development of a new class of anti-depressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). • SSRIs have fewer side effects and are much safer to use than tricyclics and MAOIs.

22. Approximately 70 per cent of patients respond positively to antidepressants, with declines in symptoms apparent within two to six weeks for tricyclics, one to three weeks for MAOIs and two to four weeks for SSRIs (Silver, Yudofsky & Hurowitz, 1994). • Patients may do better on one type of antidepressant than another, and sound clinical judgement is needed to find the best antidepressant for each individual.

23. Antimanics People with bipolar disorder are often resistant to taking medication because they miss the ‘high’ experienced in the initial phase of a manic episode. Yet not taking medication is dangerous, because patients often engage in risky behaviours during their manic phase and are at particularly high risk for suicide during the depressive phase.

24. Despite their name, antimanics help to prevent depressive episodes in bipolar disorder (they are also referred to as mood stabilizers). • The first antimanic used was lithium carbonate, which remains the treatment of choice for preventing both manic and depressive episodes in bipolar disorder. • Lithium is effective with about 60–70 per cent of bipolar patients, although the mechanism by which it works remains largely unknown (Calabrese & Woyshville, 1995) - it may work by regulating dysfunctional neuronal firing (see chapter 15).

25. But there are commonly occurring adverse side effects. • And because lithium is toxic at high levels, it is a risky treatment when there is a suicide risk involved, and patients need to have their blood levels checked regularly. • Two newer antimanics are anticonvulsant drugs that have been used to treat epilepsy: carbamazepine and valproate. • They often work for bipolar patients who have not responded to lithium.

26. Anxiolytics – a treatment foranxiety disorders • Popularly known as tranquillizers, anxiolytics are the most widely used psychotropic drugs. • In 1960, a new class of drugs, benzodiazepines, was developed that had a specific effect on anxiety.

27. Some, such as Valium (diazepam), Librium (chlordiazepoxide) and Xanax (alprazolam) have been prescribed so often that they have almost become household words. • Benzodiazepines slow nerve cell electrical activity by augmenting the effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter.

28. Although useful in treating generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder and insomnia, they are highly addictive, interact dangerously with alcohol and impair psychomotor performance (so patients are advised to avoid driving during treatment). • A newer generation anxiolytic is buspirone, a drug that is chemically distinct from other anxiolytics, is not addictive and does not interact with alcohol or impair psychomotor performance - although it does have some adverse features.

29. Assessing the effects ofpsychotropic drugs • The pre–post treatment design would seem sensible, but it has many weaknesses. • Most obviously, as with any form of therapy, it ignores the possibility that the symptoms may have remitted spontaneously, without the treatment; it also neglects the fact that symptoms of several disorders fluctuate over time (improvement in the condition may therefore simply reflect spontaneous remission or natural fluctuation).

30. A control group is therefore critical to assessing the effect of an experimental manipulation – in this case the administration of a drug. (When we compare the effect and value of treatment/s against a control using patients, it is termed a clinical trial.)

31. The placebo effect and double-blind procedure • We have to account for the placebo effect– a widely documented phenomenon in the treatment of various diseases from flu to heart disease. • It has been shown that up to 70 per cent of patients actually show some real functional improvement after being treated with an inert substance (a placebo) such as a sugar pill. • Interestingly, practitioners often make use of the placebo effect in treating patients; but researchers must eliminate it.

32. The double-blind procedure can be used in order to evaluate treatment efficacy: the patient and all staff having contact with the patient remain uninformed (blind) as to the true nature of the treatment. • A very powerful experimental technique is the combination of the double-blind procedure with random assignment of patients to treatment condition – the randomized clinical trial(RCT).

33. Criteria for effectiveness • One way to address this issue is to test whether patient self-reports fall into the ‘non-affected’ range of scores. • Another method that can be used is to apply more novel statistical techniques (beyond the scope of this course) such as comparing the ‘effect size’ underlying the statistical difference. • A further criterion that is increasingly emphasized is the cost-effectiveness of a treatment.

34. The limits of drug therapy • There is no doubt that modern psychotropic drugs have revolutionized the treatment of psychological disorders and restored the lives of many sufferers. • And yet the use of psychotropic drugs is controversial, with some researchers asserting that the beneficial effects are quite limited, and other concerns also being raised.

35. Drug treatments do have some obvious limits: • Not everyone responds to the drug. • Side effects may preclude their use for some patients, and may lead others to discontinue their use (a particularly important consideration for treatments like antipsychotics and antimanics when ongoing maintenance doses are needed to control symptoms effectively). • Drug treatment does nothing to help patients learn how to cope with life experiences that may have contributed to the disorder in the first place.

36. Psychological treatments • Treatments that use psychological methods rather than direct alterations of the nervous system; treatment is always by a trained therapist with expertise in handling psychological disorders. • Psychotherapy may take place in outpatient or inpatient settings. • Either way, the psychotherapeutic relationship is a purposeful, nurturant alliance; the psychotherapist needs good communication and relationship-building skills, self-awareness and self-monitoring, and other specific skills associated with their particular type of therapy.

37. Treatments for psychological disorders, organized according to the model of abnormal behaviour on which they are based. (Table 16.1)

38. Psychoanalysis andpsychodynamic therapy Classical psychoanalysis • Classical psychoanalysis was developed by Freud. • Its goals are to help the person gain insightinto the ‘true’ (usually unconscious) reasons for their maladaptive behaviour, to work through their implications and associated feelings, and to strengthen the ego’s control over the id and superego.

39. Insight: an individual’s understanding of the unconscious reasons for his or her maladaptive behaviour, is central to psychoanalysis.

40. Uncovering repressed memories In this framework, recovery of unconscious memories is facilitated by the method of free association, in which the client says whatever comes to mind without editing or censorship. • Transference and countertransference Central to psychoanalysis is transference; this is the notion that the client projects (transfers) onto the analyst characteristics that are unconsciously associated with parents and other important interpersonal figures from the client’s past.

41. Contemporary psychodynamic therapy • In contrast, contemporary psychodynamic therapists use a model of abnormal behaviour that involves not only intrapsychic conflict relating to early childhood, but also current interpersonal relationships. • They therefore pay close attention to the links between what goes on during therapy and the client’s life in between sessions.

42. Emphasis on accountability and cost-effectiveness in health care have no doubt played a role in the recent emergence of short-term dynamic psychotherapy. • Here the goal is pragmatic – to help the client cope with a current problem or crisis in 20 sessions or fewer. • Therapists are usually more active and may refer clients to self-help groups, ask them to do homework between sessions and use other procedures not typically associated with psychoanalytically derived psychotherapies.

43. Do these therapies work? • A major limitation of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapies is that they seem best suited to verbal, intelligent people with relatively mild psychological problems who are motivated to spend a substantial amount of time trying to uncover unconscious conflicts. • Psychoanalysis can also be expensive.

44. The basic principles that underlie these therapies have received very little empirical attention. • In fact, it may not be possible to test these therapies at all because the theoretical framework underpinning them frequently seems to explain all possible outcomes equally well. • The picture is brighter when it comes to some of the more recent psychodynamic therapies; e.g. interpersonal therapy for depression. • For the most part, however, the jury is still out when it comes to research evaluations of contemporary psychodynamic therapies.

45. Behaviour therapy • Just as behaviourism was a rejection of existing systems in psychology, behaviour therapy represented a rejection of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic thinking. • Behaviour therapy is concerned with what the person does that causes distress. • The problematic behaviour is seen to be learned, just like any other behaviour, and is not viewed as a symptom of an underlying ‘illness’.

46. The therapist uses techniques based on the principles of learning to change the maladaptive behaviour. • Consistent with its roots in the work of Pavlov, Thorndike and Skinner, behaviour therapy is highly pragmatic and focuses on the ‘here and now’ rather than early experiences. • But like other psychotherapists, behaviour therapists emphasize the need for a strong, supportive therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the client in their work.

47. Exposure techniques • As the name implies, exposure techniques involve exposing clients to stimuli that, through pairing with anxiety responses (classical conditioning), have come to evoke anxiety or fear; e.g. in systematic desensitization or flooding. • The former relies on reciprocal inhibition while the latter depends on habituation/response prevention. • Exposure is extensively used to treat agoraphobia and the panic attacks that often precede its development; in severe cases, it is usually combined with drug treatment.

48. Flooding is a technique used to reduce anxiety, such as that associated with particular phobias like arachnophobia, by prolonged exposure to the trigger of the anxiety – i.e. spiders. (Fig. 16.5)

49. Operant techniques • Operant, or instrumental, conditioning occurs when behaviour is governed by the consequences that immediately follow it. • A family of therapeutic techniques has emerged from this type of conditioning, generically termed ‘contingency management’. • One example is the token economy – in a controlled environment (such as a psychiatric ward or classroom), tokens are used to increase the likelihood of targeted behaviours.

50. Contingency management is also used in individual behaviour therapy: a behaviour therapist uses social reinforcers (e.g. nods, smiles, approval) to help bring about behaviour change. • Time out is a form of contingency management that can reduce the frequency of an undesirable behaviour by removing the person from the situation in which the behaviour is reinforced. • Another punishment contingency is response cost, which involves loss of a reward following a behaviour that we seek to change (such as smoking, aggression or self-abuse).